VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A 10 On Your Side investigation has uncovered a history of problems with a Virginia Beach daycare suddenly forced to close after it lost its required insurance, leaving parents scrambling for childcare options and staff looking for new jobs.
Answers are tough to get, with a lot of “no comments,” but the situation with the Wave Children’s Learning Center, which will be open for its last day Friday, could be connected to an Oct. 8, 2024 incident which led to court action and a hefty settlement in favor of an infant child.
Wednesday, the childcare center located off of North Great Neck Road, which has been open since 2004, notified parents it was closing imminently due to their insurer of more than 30 years no longer providing coverage. The email stated the decision to drop their coverage was made following a claim filed by the learning center.
After the Wave Children’s Learning Center lost its required insurance, it was unable to get other companies to provide coverage, leaving it with no option other than to close down.
WAVY 10 obtained the letter sent out to parents and guardians, which reads “if there were any conceivable way to keep the learning center open, we would.”
The letter added that the preschool will refund their 2025/2026 registration fee to parents and recommend the names of other learning centers.
One woman did not want to be identified, but when she heard the news of the Wave Children’s Learning Center closure, she started leaving messages on daycare answering services Wednesday night.
“I did that to be on there when those operators came in this morning,” the woman said. “… There are probably 100 parents who are going to be looking for childcare in the next coming week. So, I just want to make it known, and maybe they can hire some of these teachers and fill some slots.”
The beginning of the end for the Wave Children’s Learning Center appears to be last Oct. 9.
On Oct. 9, police were notified of a 7-month-old girl suffering from injuries. The baby girl reportedly sustained her injuries at the daytime facility.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by 10 on Your Side, “a Learning Center employee, Jhamica Jackson, 29, called the parents saying their infant daughter was fussy. … Camera footage shows Jackson seen on camera in the learning center approaching from behind, incorrectly picking up the infant from the arms out of the bouncer. … The infant is seen crying on the camera. … It was determined the infant had a broken right clavicle with a linear bruise on her right shoulder.”
On Dec. 2, Jackson was arrested and charged with felony child neglect and abuse causing serious injury.
10 On Your Side spoke with the father of the young girl at his home.
“I thought you guys would be finding out about this,” the father said. “I appreciate you guys coming in and asking, but yeah, I don’t think that we, my wife and me, will be giving any statements on this.”
To put together this report, 10 On Your Side obtained Virginia Department of Social Services inspection records for the learning center.
It indicates that Jackson was terminated four days after an unannounced investigation Nov. 14, 2024, more than five weeks after the incident. She has been charged with felony child abuse with serious injury.
Learning Center administrator Jennafer Hobbs told 10 On Your Side’s Andy Fox that its statement “explains why we are closing. … The decision to drop our insurance coverage was based on a recent claim filing by the Learning Center.”
This came after the compromise court settlement involving this case, proceeds of $385,000, including $100,000 to the infant’s parents, $127,050 in legal fees to Attorney Diane Toscano, who had no comment and $157,950 on behalf of the minor for an annuity contract. The annuity policy will provide future periodic payments according to this schedule:
- $25,000 guaranteed lump sum payable on 2/15/42
- $50,000 guaranteed lump sum payable on 2/15/45
- $100,000 guaranteed lump sum payable on 2/15/49
- $407,318 guaranteed lump sum payable on 2/15/54
That is a total of $582,318.
10 On Your Side asked her father about the amount of money in the settlement, the closing of the Learning Center, and the impact on so many families.
“I appreciate you guys trying to get to the bottom of the story,” he said, “though I do appreciate the journalism on it because it is something that needs to be done.”
As for the estimated 115-plus families impacted by this, the anonymous mother said that “it’s pretty unfair what they’re doing to the teachers here because the teachers are also great. It’s pretty disappointing for everyone, I think, because we just had no notice and it wasn’t expected. … It’s impacting so many people. … It was like overnight.”
The Learning Center’s estimated capacity is 225, and currently, it has about 175 children enrolled.
Jackson next court date is June 26.
